Fashion and Tech in the local sector since 2003

The times they are a-changin’.

This post seems to be older than 4 years—a long time on the internet. Dated info and offers may no longer apply. Some technical info might be outdated. Please feel free to post a comment with any updated info .

Lately I’ve been organizing BKStyleCon a ‘conceptual ” Conference under the BKstyle Project (Sept 2014) and is designed to make fashiontech opportunities accessible to Local designers and as such bring some much needed #Stratupdiversity. The first step is to educate and inform, However to fully leverage Fashiontech one has to understand the art and craft of fashion, Howo to create creat apparel that satisfies teh customer’s needs, tehbusienss of Fashion, Sales Marketing etc… on all levels not just luxury and also stay abreat of the latest technology in all areas. Hence the confernce.

The following was written By Fabian Burrell a local journalist who covered my line as a designer in 2003 and has kept tract of my projects… I really do thank her… it is really appreciated!

Known to many as the Fashion Designer “who speaks tech,” Bonnie Sandy has been actively championing Fashiontech since 2004, first in Brooklyn, and later in the larger NYTech community. She is often called upon to explain fashiontech terms such as #socialcommerce, #socialretail, #virtualfit, #telepresence, #computationaldesign, #connectedtv, #solarized, #conductive, #lasercutting, #digitalprinting, #3dprinting, #3dscanning, #3davatar, #wearablecomputers, #androidwear, #startups, #leanstartups, #haptics, #e-foils, not to mention the possibilities of creating fabrics from recycled bottles, cars, and plastic.

Ms. Sandy’s experience in the tech industry runs the gamut from presenting concepts relating to the intersection of tech and fashion Barcamps held in New York City to speaking on fashion technology as it pertains to the local cottage industry at Web 2.Open. She eventually led the call for what would become FashioncampNYC 2009 at NYU ITP and Parsons 2010, one of the first major fashiontech events in NYC.

While others focused on wearable technology or social retail, Ms. Sandy, herself a fashion designer, championed the needs of the local creative cottage industry. Leaning on her colleagues to execute projects that tested theories on the use of technology in local product line management with the end goal being to develop a sustainable business model. As such she brings technologies often under the radar to the mainstream.

As an avid proponent of telepresence which is live real time, interactive streaming, she regularly explores this medium for business presentations and sales, a journey she began in 2006. In fact, this led to her speaking at the first “TV Goes Social” event, and she has also used the technology across the dance arena – Dancehackit. This was a real time simultaneous live stream dance improvisation across three countries and four venues.

She explored QR codes in marketing for labeling in 2008. Always aware of cultural usage, she noted that QR codes did not easily adapt in the local cottage industry. Most recently, she has taken that knowledge exploring the local hack circuit and was twice a part of winning teams (best use of API) first at PhotohackNY and then at Gilt Fashion Hack, both times with fashiontech concepts. Her focus is effective solutions that build strong economic ecosytems around technology. She does not shy away from challenges and today realizing that little effort has been directed toward the development of the local supply chain, is again taking the initiative creating BKStylecode and taking on the challenge of “disrupting” local production.

BkStylecode2014 is a conference to build the fashion business and tech skills of local fashion design entrepreneurs, discuss best practices, identify immediate challenges and seek solutions. Before we can fill the coffers we need to plug the holes.

FYI- I hate claims of “first’, there is usually someone or something before. My earliest recollection os using technology would be late 2003 to pull designers together for a meeting and to then again in 2004-2005 when I gifted blogger accountsto about 20 plus designers. We started streaming on demand video in 2006 when my brother designed a Mabot streaming app, later moved to Joomla and then livestreamed with Mogulus (now LIVEstream.com) 2007/8. In 2009 we started testing what is now Telepresence and in 2010 stream live from a local boutique. distance teaching, shopping and consulting, came via skype when Jybe and jyve existed as plugins for those platform… I started speaking on fashion at barcamp and podcamp, web2.open anfinally got together Fashioncamp NY first at ITP and then Parson ‘s(with other NYtech enthusiate)… but when you’re busy doing you often will not be in the Limelight…